Page images
PDF
EPUB

Ros. Ay, marry: now unmuzzle your wisdom. Touch. Stand you both forth now: stroke your chins, and swear by your beards that I am a knave.

Cel. By our beards, if we had them, thou art.

Touch. By my knavery, if I had it, then I were; but if you swear by that that is not, you are not forsworn: no more was this knight, swearing by his honour, for he never had any; or if he had, he had sworn it away before ever he saw those pancakes, or that mustard. Cel. Pr'ythee, who is't that thou mean'st?

Touch. One that old Frederick, your father, loves'. Ros. My father's love is enough to honour him enough. Speak no more of him: you'll be whipped for taxation, one of these days.

Touch. The more pity, that fools may not speak wisely, what wise men do foolishly.

Cel. By my troth, thou say'st true; for since the little wit that fools have was silenced, the little foolery that wise men have makes a great show. Here comes Monsieur Le Beau.

Enter LE BEAU.

Ros. With his mouth full of news.

Cel. Which he will put on us, as pigeons feed their young.

Ros. Then shall we be news-cramm'd.

1 One that old FREDERICK, your father, loves.] As Malone remarks, there is some error here, as Frederick is the father of Celia, and not of Rosalind. He suggests that we might read Ferdinand for "Frederick." Perhaps the name of the knight was Frederick, and the clown's answer ought to run, "One old Frederick, that your father loves," which only changes the place of "that." This is the more likely, because Frederick the usurper, being younger than the exiled Duke, would hardly be called by the Clown " Old Frederick."

66

2 My father's love is enough to honour him enough.] This is Rosalind's answer, in Shakespeare's characteristic manner, as it stands distinctly in the old copies; but Malone and others give it as follows:- My father's love is enough to honour him. Enough! speak no more of him ;" which sacrifices the point of the reply.

3 — you'll be whipp'd for TAXATION,] It was the custom to whip fools when they allowed their tongues too great licence. See the comedy of "Patient Grissil," printed for the Shakespeare Society, p. 82.

Cel. All the better; we shall be the more marketable. Bon jour, Monsieur Le Beau: what's the news? Le Beau. Fair princess, you have lost much good sport.

Cel. Sport? Of what colour?

Le Beau. What colour, madam? How shall I answer you?

Ros. As wit and fortune will.

Touch. Or as the destinies decree.

Cel. Well said: that was laid on with a trowel.
Touch. Nay, if I keep not my rank,-

Ros. Thou losest thy old smell.

Le Beau. You amaze me, ladies: I would have told you of good wrestling, which you have lost the sight of.

Ros. Yet tell us the manner of the wrestling.

Le Beau. I will tell you the beginning; and, if it please your ladyships, you may see the end, for the best is yet to do and here, where you are, they are coming to perform it. Cel. Well, the beginning, that is dead and buried. Le Beau. There comes an old man, and his thrée sons,

Cel. I could match this beginning with an old tale.

Le Beau. Three proper young men, of excellent growth and presence ;

Ros. With bills on their necks*,-"Be it known unto all men by these presents,"

With bills on their necks,] There is reason to think that "with bills on their necks," as Farmer suggested, should be part of the description Le Beau is giving of the "old man and his three sons." Lodge, in his novel of "Rosalynde," calls the father "a lustie Franklin of the country," with "two tall men that were his sonnes," and they would properly be furnished "with bills on their necks." These bills were commonly carried by foresters; and Rosalind immediately misinterprets the word "bills," as if it meant public notices-"Be it known to all men by these presents." However, though " with bills on their necks" may belong to Le Beau, the old copies give the words to Rosalind; and it is only in cases of very clear and decided error that we venture to vary from the ancient text. The later folios reprint the passage as it stands in the first.

Le Beau. The eldest of the three wrestled with Charles, the duke's wrestler; which Charles in a moment threw him, and broke three of his ribs, that there is little hope of life in him: so he served the second, and so the third. Yonder they lie, the Yonder they lie, the poor old man, their father, making such pitiful dole over them, that all the beholders take his part with weeping.

Ros. Alas!

Touch. But what is the sport, monsieur, that the ladies have lost?

Le Beau. Why, this that I speak of.

Touch. Thus men may grow wiser every day! it is the first time that ever I heard breaking of ribs was sport for ladies.

Cel. Or I, I promise thee.

Ros. But is there any else longs to see this broken music in his sides? is there yet another dotes upon ribbreaking?-Shall we see this wrestling, cousin?

Le Beau. You must, if you stay here; for here is the place appointed for the wrestling, and they are ready to perform it.

Cel. Yonder, sure, they are coming: let us now stay and see it.

Flourish. Enter Duke FREDERICK, Lords, ORLANDO, CHARLES, and Attendants.

Duke F. Come on: since the youth will not be entreated, his own peril on his forwardness.

Ros. Is yonder the man?

Le Beau. Even he, madam.

Cel. Alas! he is too young: yet he looks successfully.

Duke F. How now, daughter, and cousin! are you crept hither to see the wrestling?

Ros. Ay, my liege, so please you give us leave.

Duke F. You will take little delight in it, I can tell

VOL. III.

C

you, there is such odds in the man". In pity of the challenger's youth I would fain dissuade him, but he will not be entreated: speak to him, ladies; see if you can move him.

Cel. Call him hither, good Monsieur Le Beau.
Duke F. Do so: I'll not be by. [DUKE goes apart.

Le Beau. Monsieur the challenger, the princess calls for you.

Orl. I attend them, with all respect and duty.

Ros. Young man, have you challenged Charles the

wrestler?

Orl. No, fair princess; he is the general challenger: I come but in, as others do, to try with him the strength of my youth.

your years.

Cel. Young gentleman, your spirits are too bold for You have seen cruel proof of this man's strength if you saw yourself with your eyes, or knew yourself with your judgment, the fear of your adventure would counsel you to a more equal enterprise. We pray you, for your own sake, to embrace your own safety, and give over this attempt.

Ros. Do, young sir: your reputation shall not therefore be misprised. We will make it our suit to the duke, that the wrestling might not go forward.

Orl. I beseech you, punish me not with your hard thoughts, wherein I confess me much guilty, to deny so fair and excellent ladies any thing. But let your fair eyes, and gentle wishes, go with me to my trial: wherein if I be foiled, there is but one shamed that was never gracious; if killed, but one dead that is willing to be so. I shall do my friends no wrong, for I

[ocr errors]

5 there is such odds in the MAN.] i. e. Such a difference in the man, as compared with Charles, the wrestler. Sir Thomas Hanmer changed "man to men; but without necessity, and against all authority.

[ocr errors]

the PRINCESS CALLS for you.] So the old copies; and surely there is no need for change: yet Theobald, and some modern editors, read, "the princesses call for you." It is Celia who had desired Le Beau to call Orlando to her : Orlando, seeing two ladies, very naturally answers, "I attend them, with all respect and duty."

have none to lament me; the world no injury, for in it I have nothing; only in the world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty.

Ros. The little strength that I have, I would it were with you.

Cel. And mine, to eke out hers.

Ros. Fare you well. Pray heaven, I be deceived in you!

Cel. Your heart's desires be with you.

Cha. Come; where is this young gallant, that is so desirous to lie with his mother earth?

Orl. Ready, sir; but his will hath in it' a more modest working.

Duke F. You shall try but one fall.

Cha. No, I warrant your grace, you shall not entreat him to a second, that have so mightily persuaded him from a first.

Orl. You mean to mock me after: you should not have mocked me before; but come your ways.

Ros. Now, Hercules be thy speed, young man! Cel. I would I were invisible, to catch the strong fellow by the leg. [CHARLES and ORLANDO wrestle.

Ros. O, excellent young man!

Cel. If I had a thunderbolt in mine eye, I can tell who should down. [CHARLES is thrown. Shout.

Duke F. No more, no more.

Orl. Yes, I beseech your grace: I am not yet well

breathed.

Duke F. How dost thou, Charles?

Le Beau. He cannot speak, my lord.

Duke F. Bear him away.

What is thy name, young man?

[CHARLES is borne out.

Orl. Orlando, my liege: the youngest son of sir Rowland de Bois.

7 - his will hath IN IT, &c.] In Malone's Shakespeare by Boswell, "in it" is misprinted it in.

« PreviousContinue »